Carl “C-Dawg” Smith

First season: graet. Second season has poorly conceived fluff, and an even worse attempt at high concept. Still, the general idea for the ending is decent.

One of the greatest things about this show is all the NVC principles on display and being built up, that's probably confusing if you've only taken a cursory glance but keep watching, it's pretty god damned hilarious.

It's like a Black Mirror episode for counselors; Chris Hemsworth's depiction of manic fixation on wellness and toxic positivity were fun. The social dynamics are very tech-bro and pop psychology. This isn't a movie that tells you what to do, it's a movie that highlights what's wrong with a narrow slice of one potential future. It's a modern scifi look at a future of moral nihilism, a past of psychoexperimental dehumanization, intellectualized psychopathy, and commodified empathy. The only way to not appreciate at least the opening half of this movie is to not be aware of what it's illustrating, I think, because the pacing and directing of the movie are quite good technically. Now, the movie doesn't really drive it home, and the second half of this movie is not as fun; it takes a hard turn into "can we forgive ourselves," "how self-destructive are we willing to be," and "can institutions grant forgiveness?" The movie does not continue to explore these new questions through fun portrayals, it instead goes into expository revenge and dials up the mockery of profit-motivated consent. This last arc takes us past Bond villainy and into cartoonery, resulting in a weak final ten minutes. Still, it's entertaining and it has some very decent portrayals.

Loved his last specials, Sticks and Stones, etc. Apparently, however, he took his success over the bully media as a reason to indulge an increasingly unchallenged mindset for all but for the final act. This special is boring, ignorant, and not even provacative for the first act. The premise for a lot of his jokes are tired and basically dumb in the first act. Dave talks a big game about caring, but cannot be bothered to google a basic education on these issues and in flouting his juvenile attitude shapes excuses for millions. The sadder part is that in the second part of the act he starts elevating his comedy, but still displays his ignorance. It is undoubtable that he could provide a unique viewpoint if he applied himself to it, if he understood the issues, but he does not. He speaks inauthentically from the sidelines, speculating and, for those who do know, being just plain wrong in his premise. He exposes his mind as just another rich guy pretending not to have privilege, so absorbed in his own intentionally narrow experience he needs to be reminded to have empathy. A man who crossed the line into working for his sycophants. Taken as a whole this undercuts the lines his show ends on. But! In the final act he finally talks about his friend Daphne Dorman, who was bullied to death as a result of the Sticks and Stones special. That final act could have been the whole show, he said what needed to be said, and I'm glad Daphne got the vocal attention she deserves.

Why do so many BDSM erotica start out with someone being unhappy in their relationship then spend the rest of the story pretending abuse is romantic? Why do they get big budgets? These aren't entirely rhetorical questions, they do have readily available answers, and the point is that we should all be disgusted and ashamed.

Apparently most of the critics grew up with the book and were therefore disappointed. Well, I grew up with the book, and I'd think a critic could appreciate a movie for what it is instead of being disappointed by their own nostalgic expectations.

Most movies purporting to be Science Fiction aren't really. Dune is this year's exception, it is a true to the book science fiction with decent action scenes and a good pace. I only had two complaints for the entire movie: Jason Momoa was himself a little too much, he didn't deliver any complexity in his performance... Paul's actor (forget the name) was as much a blank slate as ever, but it worked in this role, Momoa's Duncan Idaho was almost there but didn't cut it for me. Second complaint: why would the Fremen duel in their still suits? Still suits = water = valuable. Oh, and they didn't balance the audio for home release, but I can't fault the Director for that...

Best Historical Drama. As a film this touches as many themes, most visible of which is its blunt brutality (the portrayal and design of which surely deserves much praise) but its realism subtly elevates the emergent romantic themes.